Hastings voters will select three members of the Hastings School Board during the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with all three current officeholders filing to seek another four-year term.
As of Monday, July 20, Carrie Banaszewski Tate, Mark Zuzek and Jessica Dressely had filed affidavits of candidacy for the three available seats. The candidate filing period remains open through 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, which means additional candidates may still enter the race.
Tate currently serves as chairperson of the Hastings School Board, Zuzek serves as treasurer and Dressely serves as vice chairperson. Their current terms expire at the end of 2026.
Hastings Public Schools, Independent School District 200, is governed by a seven-member board. Members are elected at large, meaning voters throughout the school district vote for candidates rather than selecting someone who represents a particular neighborhood or geographic section of the district.
School Board members serve four-year terms. Elections are held in November of even-numbered years, with the seats divided between election cycles so all seven positions are not on the ballot at the same time. Four seats are filled during one election cycle, followed by the remaining three seats two years later.
The School Board is responsible for setting district policies, approving the annual budget and hiring the superintendent. The superintendent then oversees the district’s educational programs, daily operations and implementation of School Board policies.
Board members make decisions that can affect students, families, district employees and taxpayers. Those decisions can include budgets, staffing priorities, educational programs, facilities, district policies and long-term planning.
Residents interested in running for one of the three seats must file an affidavit of candidacy with the school district clerk. The district office is located at 1000 W. 11th St. in Hastings.
Candidates must pay a $2 filing fee and complete the filing process before 5 p.m. July 28. District offices are closed on Fridays during the filing period, so anyone considering becoming a candidate will need to plan around the reduced office schedule.
Candidates who file but later decide not to run have until 5 p.m. Thursday, July 30, to withdraw their names.
Once the filing and withdrawal periods close, the final list of candidates can be prepared for the November ballot. Because the three positions are elected at large, voters will be able to select candidates for each of the three available seats.
The 2026 election calendar will begin moving quickly after the candidates are finalized. Absentee voting begins Friday, Sept. 18, giving voters 46 days to cast a ballot before Election Day.
Minnesota voters may vote absentee by mail or vote in person before Election Day. Early voting, when ballots can be placed directly into a ballot counter, begins Friday, Oct. 16. The final day to vote early in person will be Monday, Nov. 2.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters will cast ballots at their assigned polling locations. Residents who are uncertain where they vote can use the state’s polling place finder or contact local election officials.
School Board races will appear alongside federal, state, county and other local races on the general election ballot. Voters will also be able to review a sample ballot before the election once ballots have been prepared and made available.
After ballots are counted, the Hastings School Board must meet to canvass, or officially certify, the election results. The district has listed Friday, Nov. 13, as the final day to complete that process.
The candidates elected in November will begin their new four-year terms Monday, Jan. 4, 2027.
While three candidates have already filed for three available seats, the race is not officially set until the filing period closes July 28 and the withdrawal deadline passes July 30. Until then, Hastings residents interested in serving on the School Board still have time to complete the required paperwork and join the November race.